I was really looking forward to reading this book. I love classic Hollywood movies and I had seen movies with Hedy Lamarr when none of my friends even knew who she was. I was further thrilled several years ago, when I found out she was also an inventor. It was so cool! So, I thoughtContinue reading “The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict”
Category Archives: Book Reviews
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Basically, this is a love letter to librarians, so I was definitely in. Moyes tells the story of the pack horse librarians of the Depression through a set of brave and likable female protagonists. Alice married Bennett Van Cleve after whirlwind courtship in her native England while he was on holiday, only to come downContinue reading “The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes”
A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
Full disclosure: I bought this book because of the subtitle: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf. I should have known that I wouldn’t like it from the lack of an Oxford comma in the subtitle, but I pressed on. The authors are academics, and there are endnotes andContinue reading “A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney”
The Regency Years by Robert Morrison
The full title is The Regency Years: during which Jane Austen writes, Napoleon fights, Byron makes love, and Britain becomes modern. Morrison’s book is highly readable and engaging, while maintaining a level of scholarly rigor not often seen in works marketed to a lay audience. For those interested, there is a wealth of endnotes andContinue reading “The Regency Years by Robert Morrison”
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
First, a Shout-out to a local Austin writer–yay! This novel combines a few of my favorite things: spies, intrigue, and literature, oh my! I am sure other reviewers have pointed this out, but I would also like to make sure everyone notes the irony of the author’s first name being the name of the mainContinue reading “The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott”
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Once again I will be out of sync with the consensus. I really hated this book, in fact, I was angry when I finished it because I felt like I had wasted my time. I read it because my book group was reading it and because several people had told me it was wonderful–it alsoContinue reading “Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens”
Book Discussion: Golden Hill by Frances Spufford
Golden HIll is an interesting niche novel, for those who enjoy older forms of writing, including a self-conscious, slightly intrusive narrator. While I enjoyed the writing immensely, I will have to confess that I found the plot a little lacking. The book is set in 1746 New York. Richard Smith arrives from London mysteriously bearingContinue reading “Book Discussion: Golden Hill by Frances Spufford”
Book Discussion: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Full disclosure. I am a HUGE fan of Atwood in general and The Handmaid’s Tale specifically, so keep in mind that my comments regarding this work are not unbiased. First, I love the format. The alternating viewpoints give a full picture of what is happening in Gilead and outside of it, but interestingly, the firstContinue reading “Book Discussion: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood”
Book Discussion: The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess
I got this book as an e-galley and I was really looking forward to it. It had rave reviews and the pre-pub buzz was great. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the hype. I should have known better, when I saw the protagonist referred to as a female Philip Roth. Full disclosure–though I have triedContinue reading “Book Discussion: The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess”
Book Discussion: The French Lesson by Hallie Rubenhold
This novel popped up when I was doing an Amazon search for Hallie Rubenhold, because I thoroughly enjoyed her historical account of the Scandalous Lady W. (See my earlier post on that book here.) If you are looking for a fun summer read to keep you company in your beach chair or on your couch,Continue reading “Book Discussion: The French Lesson by Hallie Rubenhold”
